The Black Creek Stopping-House, and Other Stories

lyn made their way to the Stopping-House. The stormy night accorded well with the turmoil in Evelyn's brain. One point she had decided-she woul

rom her husband and so thoroughly angry with him that he had made great progress. Now he believed that if he cou

n going in to the Stop

what she was going to

dness to do anything in

at she owed

to tell her the truth of the story, know

ise when they walked into the kitchen, white with snow. It staggered Mrs. Corbett somewhat to

Mrs. Corbett," Eve

e, is there?" Mrs. Co

d news here. Fred and I have q

and closed the door. She could do nothi

im?" she asked, jerking

y Rance Belmont's significant remar

ened attentively

ings they are. Sure and it was just his love for

pect-I don't want love without them. How dare he think that I would do

o smooth-tongued and has such a way with him that all men hate him, and the women l

g to Brandon now to-night in time for the

t not to say all that was in

ere till mornin'. The daylight's the best time to go. Don't go off at nigh

e. No-I am going-I want to put distance between us; I just came in to say good-bye and to tell you how it happened. I

pantry if there was no other way of detaining her. "Listen to the wind-sure it's layin' in for a blizzard. I knew that all day. The roads will be

f his doing the same. Rance Belmont had no desire to face a blizzard unnecessarily, particularly at night, and the storm was growing thicker every minute. So after consulting with Evelyn, who had yielded to Mrs. Corbett's many entreaties, he agreed

eather and the subsequent state of the roads, might be with her for several days, and while her hands were busy, her brai

ey and sifting the snow against the frosted windows, brought comfort to her anxious heart,

ked through the open door into the "Room," where her unus

is fate therein. He would dearly have loved a game with some one, for he had the

on Times. George Sims, the horse-dealer, by the light of his own lantern, cl

covered barrel-chair of home manufacture, read the War Cry, while Peter Rockett, on his f

hinking, thankful even for this temporary respite, "but they'll go in the mo

threw out her hands as if in protest. She sat still a few moments holding fast to the

be noticed. In her honest soul it seemed to her that her plan, so ter

a suggestion of the devil? One minute she was imploring Satan to "get thee behind me," and the next mi

into the kitchen to se

forgotten h

r into the pantry, and she said to him, "Da, is it ever

y that John Corbett replied without h

in' o' how the priests have given whiskey to the Indians when they couldn

hat it was right to do anything-bu

uld he? She thinks he's just goin' to drive her to Brandon, but I know him-he'll go with her, sure-she can't help who trave

ou coming at, Maggie? Do you want me to go

n is mine and I'll take it fair and square on my soul. I don't w

caught her

uck swim?" he said, keeping his voice lo

wicked thing I'm askin' you to do; but,

l the under side of an ace he does not often forget, but of course ther

be it was so that you'd be ready for to-night that He let you learn to be so handy with them. Sure Ma always said that God can do His work with quare tools; and now, Da, I'll slip off to bed, and you'll pretend you're stealin' a m

out the prayin'-I was always able to find t

nd I'm sure the Lord don't either, but it's your soul I'm thinkin' of and worried about. I'll slip down with the green

n Maggie brought down the green box with their earnings in it he emptied its conte

eter Rockett, with his eyes bulging from his head, watched his grave employer cut and deal and gather in the stakes, with as much astonishment as if that dignified gentleman had walked head downward on the ceiling. Yet John Corbett proceeded with the game,